Drinking receptacles with covers incorporating manually operable valves are well known in the art. These receptacles are generally used for holding coffee or the like by persons travelling to and from work or in any similar situation where the receptacle is subject to motion. The cover and valve assemblies are designed to effectively seal off the open top of the receptacle and prevent spillage. When it is desired to drink from the receptacle, the valve mechanism is operated by depressing a valve stem extending from the side of the cover by a person's finger to open a beverage outlet opening on a diametrically opposite portion of the cover from which the person can drink. Releasing of the valve stem or actuating member results in the opening being automatically closed.
Many problems associated with prior art drinking receptacles of the foregoing type, such as failure for a valve mechanism to properly close, provision of metal parts which can corrode and thus render the valve mechanism inoperative, general complications and expense, and the like have been overcome by a specially designed drinking receptacle as disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,642 issued July 11, 1978 and entitled DRINKING RECEPTACLE COVER AND VALVE ASSEMBLY. This patent and the invention described therein has been assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and is the closest prior art, along with the reference cited therein, to the present invention of which Applicant is aware.
In the above-identified patent, there is shown a receptacle more or less in the form of an elongated thermos-like structure having a cover with an opening at one peripheral portion and an actuating member at an opposite peripheral portion. The arrangement is such that a person can drink from the opening while depressing the actuating member with his index finger, the person's hand being wrapped about the outer surface of the receptacle.
While the receptacle and cover assembly is highly satisfactory for many beverages, there can exist instances in which a very hot beverage is held in the container heating the container itself sufficiently that it becomes uncomfortable for a person to hold when drinking therefrom. In such instance, it would be desirable to provide a container or receptacle with a handle. However, provision of such a handle on the specifically designed cover and valve assembly set forth in the above-identified patent would render it difficult to operate the valve mechanism itself with the same hand holding the receptacle by the handle. Some redesign would be required.